snakeroot
snakeroot Lexical Profile
snakeroot Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American Any of several botanically unrelated plants, particularly native to North America, whose roots were historically used as a folk remedy for snakebites or have a twisted, snake-like appearance.
"The early pioneers learned from indigenous tribes how to identify and harvest Seneca snakeroot for its supposed medicinal properties."
North American A highly toxic perennial herb (Ageratina altissima), commonly known as white snakeroot, native to eastern North America, known for causing a fatal condition called milk sickness in humans who consume the milk of cows that have grazed on it.
"Historians widely believe that Abraham Lincoln's mother died from milk sickness after drinking milk contaminated by white snakeroot."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 17th century from 'snake' + 'root', so named because the roots of these plants were historically used as a folk remedy for snakebites, or because their twisted root structures visually resembled serpents.